Is Nole (Going To Be) The Best?

I read that Alex Corretia said how Djokovic secretly wants to be the best player of all times, i.e. overtake Federer's 17 slams.
He noticed how Djokovic is calmer and doesn't even celebrate much these days - focusing on ...the BIG goal!

I thought that was quite a flashy statement from him...he is not an attention-seeking, bombastic character.

Then Wilander (wait a minute, it must be the oldies playing in Albert Hall this week ) also mentioned how the beginning of 2016 and winning AO is very important for Djokovic for the rest of the year.

I am pretty sure Tipsarevic said the same a few weeks ago.

I haven't thought about it, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was true.

Crazy, isn't it?

There is a chance he can do it but the chance is slim, I'd say.

However even if he doesn't his main advantage will be that he'll probably end up with a positive H2H against all players of his generation and older.

I don't remember H2Hs being mentioned in the past...before Nadal to be more precise.

Who cares about those? (except Nadal fans)

And I wonder how much Becker has influenced or fed his mind with  that kind of ambition.

It's going to leave him an unhappy man in the end.

I also remember how keen Nadal was...and looked close.

He is probably still hoping. "Only" needs 3 more slams.

It's all weird to me...

I understand confidence, but this is a bit greedy.

15 would do!

Heeeeey!!! FIF-TEEEEN! slams...what kind of an era is this?

Goldie Oldies.....?

It used to be a slam or two - total dream for a player, and if it's Wimbledon, well, you've made it!
But now...it's like shopping n Primark - people go and buy 5 pairs of shoes for £20-30 ...because they can!

I know top players all work hard and all that...but it's gone over the top.
Strange...

Djokovic seems to have smugly cracked the perfect code.
I know he is almost superstitiously careful about what he eats.
Maybe that's his "OCD"...very top players do go crazy somewhere down the road...or should I say - up there?

(Where O2 is rare )

His domination is fascinating and again different from anyone else's.

Errr No.  He hasn't a prayer or reaching 17 slams, or 302 weeks n1, or a ton of other accolades that Federer currently owns.  Not to mention Wimbledon is the greatest Slam, and he isn't going to match Borg, Federer, or Sampras there either.

Yes, but who else is going to win  slams next year?

He's really perfected the game for current conditions, it will be very hard to dislodge him from the baseline.

Only Fed has the variety to do it and he usually gets tired by the time he reaches finals.

Only very physical SFs against Murray, Stan or Nadal may make a tiny difference.

Then again, we could have someone  new explode into winning form...even if it's for one or two tournaments at a time.

That's the beauty of tennis...a rainy cloud can change everythng!

That's the best thing about it.  We're on the cusp of real change within these next 2 years (Djokovic past it, Federer retired, Nadal finished, Murray finished).  Not before time.  I have no idea who is gonna come up and show their talent.  Apart from Kyrgios, who certainly will.

I am actually excited about Chung.

I haven't seen much of him, but from what I did see - he has an easy FH, he is not a drilled basher, quite a smooth, relaxed presence on the court and that is a very good sign for someone of his age.

He will be a year older with a bit of pro competition under his belt, he may be a player who will shine out of nowhere.

I could see him maybe reach a final of a 500 tournament and start winning the 250 ones.

The rest is all eaten up by the "big boys" for now who have too much of a physical advantage and experience how to use it.

I feel sorry for any youngster  who has to face them.

I don't have any recollection of how Chung serves, that could be crucial.

Rublev is still young and needs another year of relaxing on the court, but he is the one to watch - a fierce Little Dragon.  

That's the talent.

Kokkinakis is pretty good, too, no distinctive weapons, but a good competitor that could be dangerous next year, too.

Kyrgios...I really don't know what to think. He managed to beat Nadal, Federer and Murray, but looks to have gone backward with his tennis this year - probably because he is lazy and gets injured frequently as a result of it.

Can Tsonga have one last houraah?

But could any od them beat Nole next year?

I reckon Kokkinakis....mainly because he is not a choker like Big Kev.

Yes I think he was on a stellar projection to the top until he got injured. Don't think he has played since but I think he is the only one who will not have to wait 24 to bite into the top 10. In fact if he recovers I am pretty sure he will be top 10 by end of 16.

Here are the highlights from USO against Stan.
Lost in 3 TBs, was 4:1 up in the second set.
Impressive in quick baseline tennis.
BH not bad, either.

Looks very confident and a stubborn competitor.



I saw a bit of his QF Wimbledon match against Coric when they were boys (there is a full match clip on Youtube) , didn't Coric grunt like a big baby...even had a fake MTO...carried on like a major diva, so glad he lost.

Yet it's Coric that has better ranking now.

But he'll stagnate there...nothing to pull him up and propel him further to the top.

noleisthebest wrote:Here are the highlights from USO against Stan.
Lost in 3 TBs, was 4:1 up in the second set.
Impressive in quick baseline tennis.
BH not bad, either.

Looks very confident and a stubborn competitor.



I saw a bit of his QF Wimbledon match against Coric when they were boys (there is a full match clip on Youtube) , didn't Coric grunt like a big baby...even had a fake MTO...carried on like a major diva, so glad he lost.

Yet it's Coric that has better ranking now.

But he'll stagnate there...nothing to pull him up and propel him further to the top.

I looked at their Wimbledon match and must confirm, what Nitb said. Coric looked like a spoilt big boy against cool Chung.

On the other hand Chung looks like playing IT kid and his mindset is really good. I see as one big question mark his FH striking, when he uses his wrist hugely and on his serve as well. I don't want to say any pesimistic prognosis about his wrist, but I am really surprised why he plays forehand this way when he was going through Bolletierri academy. Anyway I wish him well.

Yes, he does look like an IT tennis kid with those glasses!

I didn't realise he trained with Bolettieri. He didn't seem to have damaged him too much.

I don't see a problem with the FH, quite like it - his is a whipping, loose wristed one, a bit like Fed's, he drives the ball with it rather than muscle and overspin like Thiem for example.

I also like his light footwork.

If he keeps progressing like in 2015 (voted the most improved player) he should be up with the best soon.

It looks like he has nice hands, too.

The serve could be worked on.

He is unique, and that's good.

noleisthebest wrote:Here are the highlights from USO against Stan.
Lost in 3 TBs, was 4:1 up in the second set.
Impressive in quick baseline tennis.
BH not bad, either.

Looks very confident and a stubborn competitor.



I saw a bit of his QF Wimbledon match against Coric when they were boys (there is a full match clip on Youtube) , didn't Coric grunt like a big baby...even had a fake MTO...carried on like a major diva, so glad he lost.

Yet it's Coric that has better ranking now.

But he'll stagnate there...nothing to pull him up and propel him further to the top.

This FH is going to be deadly. A great BH too but he does not hesitate going to the net either. Very complete player. Djoko will suffer against him.

Tenez wrote:
This FH is going to be deadly. A great BH too but he does not hesitate going to the net either. Very complete player. Djoko will suffer against him.

I read he only started playing tennis to preserve his failing eyesight!

I am glad he is not skinny. That's why he probably progressed quicker than Rubi. Neither are "athletes" but know how to play the game, Chung more than Rubi - better natural footwork.
Still, I prefer Rubi ...he is so brave.

The two could form a nice rivalry.

It's good to have them.
Never felt excited about Dimi/Nishi etc that way.

Well I think there is really something special about those youngsters. I never quite followed Nishi. Dimi I did but with a SHBH he needs much more time to be confident. He will be a good player too but need to start improving quick.

Here's how world number one is preparing for the new season:


https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=djokovic+stretch+holiday+twitter&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB612GB613&hl=en-GB&prmd=inv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA09bl9N3JAhVHVxoKHdlgAGQQ_AUIBygB#imgrc=IN8Z80ZSlkXoOM%3A

Depressing frankly. What about improving his shots? The idea behind that is that as long as the ball comes back he is in with a chance to win the point.

But like we saw with all the players before him.....you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

Yes, it's quite interesting to observe how & what different players try to maximise in this vacuum of technology when nothing else is changing.

Djokovic has reduced his body to an almost skeletal elastic rubber -  his limbs moving like a puppet on a string,  Murray has nowhere to go (can't get any fitter or improve any shots) so now wants faster courts, Federer has hit the brick wall of aggressiveness with SABR-ing, Nadal is trying to do unimaginable and play on the basline (btw, his bicep looked bigger than ever in that exo against Federer), Stan just naturally improving timing and consistency and hence having on and off parts of the year...and everyone else just trying to catch up every way they possibly can.

But many players are going to stagnate now. Or their bodies will slowly begin to break down because of increased fitness related injuries.

Only the younger ones will keep improving.

It must feel suffocating for many.

Though, most will probably just not stress too much as money is big - Berdych, Ferrer...it's just a shelves packing kind of job for them.

Yes Nole found the secret formula. Perfect compromise. A defender so quick on his feet that he has time to dictate....and therefore be seen as an aggressor.

But as mentioned.....nature will find a way to shorten his life at the top.

Tenez wrote:Yes Nole found the secret formula. Perfect compromise. A defender so quick on his feet that he has time to dictate....and therefore be seen as an aggressor.

But as mentioned.....nature will find a way to shorten his life at the top.

Yes, perfectly put.

And that's what annoys me about current tennis - this hybrid, gnetically modified game where it's free for all at the expense of purity be it attacking or counter-punching.

Just another era that will one day be gladly forgotten.

And I thought Nole slaying Nadal would be the end of the agony...

noleisthebest wrote:...
And I thought Nole slaying Nadal would be the end of the agony...

Yep. He made it worse. Cause sure he doesn't have Nadal's muscles but he has even a better physical formula.

It's brawn versus gut....and we will have to wait for another Fed ....

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:...
And I thought Nole slaying Nadal would be the end of the agony...

Yep. He made it worse. Cause sure he doesn't have Nadal's muscles but he has even a better physical formula.

Yes, he is tougher to beat.
But for me the manner in which Nadal was dominating was worse. So brutal I could not watch it.
I felt physically beaten when I did...
I can imagine the players...

And how their bodies recovered from that AO12 final will remain a mystery.

Tenez wrote:
It's brawn versus gut...

Yes, very, very tough. Djokovic is an intelligent player and a born defender, so now in these conditions - thriving.
The times when Fed and Stan beat him - at least we saw some spectacular tennis...
Fed in particular has a heart as big as a house as we say in Serbia. And German will, plus that God-given talent...
Stan just enters this mode where he can push a wheelbarrow over the canyon on a tightrope with his eyes closed...

Tenez wrote:
and we will have to wait for another Fed ....

or maybe just quicker balls.
I saw a list of best comebacks in 2015, and a Dolgopolov-Djokovic match from Montreal featured...I almost forgot about it.
Do you remember how awesome Dolgo played until he colapsed physically and lost the third set 6:0?

So, variety definitely hurts Djokovic...cos he loves his metronomic rhythm.

In the absence of real news, Serbian media are bombarding us with tweets of Jelena Djokovic, which I find bit of a turn-off.
Always some "healthy" gluten-free recipes full of rare, expensive ingredients.

https://www.instagram.com/p/_Y4W_OoFpx/?taken-by=jelenadjokovicndf

Especially as people in Serbia can barely afford a loaf of bread...
Still, it gives an insight into all this weird eating and stretching regime...no thank you very much! for me.

I am not a hedonist but one has to die of something...and it may as well be be from good food and fun!

Poor Nole...he is so hapoy it hurts!

Fed had some interesting comments about Djoko prospects next season.  Said basically Djoko had few weaknesses but had worked hard to improve on those and impressed Federer with his complete game, playing at a confidence level that Federer can relate to from his dominant time. said the domination was more about the confidence and that "it's up to the rest of the players to track him down and cause him to lose some confidence which will drop his level. Novak is not going to drop his level on his own, its up to all of us."  "I'm working extremely hard in the off season to do my part to make that happen" 

So Fed prob relates that he had Nadal, Djoko, and Murray breathing down his neck and eventually chipping away at his feeling of invincibility.    However, who is around to do that to Djokovic?

truffin1 wrote:Fed had some interesting comments about Djoko prospects next season.  Said basically Djoko had few weaknesses but had worked hard to improve on those and impressed Federer with his complete game, playing at a confidence level that Federer can relate to from his dominant time. said the domination was more about the confidence and that "it's up to the rest of the players to track him down and cause him to lose some confidence which will drop his level. Novak is not going to drop his level on his own, its up to all of us."  "I'm working extremely hard in the off season to do my part to make that happen" 

From what I could see, the best improvement Djokovic made is his ball-timing.
He hasn't really improved any of his shots, as none of them can be considered weapons, though his BH is pretty versatile & reliable and tough to break down.

He has got super light and fast and gets to balls many others can't.

A fresh Fed is still his nightmare.
And they both know it.

Truffin wrote:
So Fed prob relates that he had Nadal, Djoko, and Murray breathing down his neck and eventually chipping away at his feeling of invincibility.    However, who is around to do that to Djokovic?

Nole doesn't like playing Fed and Stan. Neither fear him and have the game to beat him.

I think that's about it atm.

Nishi is gutless with no stomach for fight,  otherwise he's got the talent and game to beat him, too.

It's got to be either variety or speed of shots.

Outlasting - out of the question.

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:...
And I thought Nole slaying Nadal would be the end of the agony...

Yep. He made it worse. Cause sure he doesn't have Nadal's muscles but he has even a better physical formula.

Yes, he is tougher to beat.
But for me the manner in which Nadal was dominating was worse. So brutal I could not watch it.
I felt physically beaten when I did...
I can imagine the players...

And how their bodies recovered from that AO12 final will remain a mystery.

Tenez wrote:
It's brawn versus gut...

Yes, very, very tough. Djokovic is an intelligent player and a born defender, so now in these conditions - thriving.
The times when Fed and Stan beat him - at least we saw some spectacular tennis...
Fed in particular has a heart as big as a house as we say in Serbia. And German will, plus that God-given talent...
Stan just enters this mode where he can push a wheelbarrow over the canyon on a tightrope with his eyes closed...

Tenez wrote:
and we will have to wait for another Fed ....

or maybe just quicker balls.
I saw a list of best comebacks in 2015, and a Dolgopolov-Djokovic match from Montreal featured...I almost forgot about it.
Do you remember how awesome Dolgo played until he colapsed physically and lost the third set 6:0?

So, variety definitely hurts Djokovic...cos he loves his metronomic rhythm.

No mystery. PEDs do that for you.

The best answer came from Nick after Wimbledon, but Nole has improved his game since then, so that the answer is easy

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/wimbledon-2015-nick-bollettieri-why-novak-djokovic-is-the-perfect-tennis-machine-10381894.html

They are all "perfect tennis" machine when they are number 1...but sooner or later they are all being beaten by a better tennis machine!